Books and more books!

In one of my first posts, April 2008, I was wondering what I would do in Mexico without reading material!
Now, almost 2 years later, I'm happy to report that hasn't been a problem! An addict can always find her drug, no matter the cost.

1. I packed some books to bring down with me. Since the moving truck took 12 weeks to arrive, I had a slow summer 2008, but I made it through.
2. The library at the school where I work has some books. Most of their adult selection was pretty lousy, though, so I have been actively soliciting donations and also donating quite a few. In the last 18 months, I've brought back hundreds of books for the library - often reading quite a few before taking them in!
3. I found out that the DF airport has a decent selection of printed magazines, newspapers, and books in English. Not much, but enough to get me through a tough time. Thankfully, they don't have more, as their prices are quite high.
4. I've been listening to audiobooks during my loooong commute, which often enables me to hear 2 books per month during the school year - more than twice what I was reading during my last teaching job!
5. I will visit the library during my trips back to MI, and if we or a friend of ours is traveling soon after, I'll often bring library books down with me and then send them back with a willing helper (thank you to those readers who have helped!)
6. I just got an e-reader!!! Dave wanted to get me one of these last year, but I was concerned about paying $10+ for each book, when I'm u sed to getting 90% of my reading material free at the library. My new Sony e-reader is compatible with library ebooks, so I can still check books out of my library without flying home! Technology is amazing.

Finally, I am happy to report that after 2 years of hard work, I'm almost ready to start reading in Spanish. I can basically get through a newspaper, and I understand the headlines of most magazines. I'm going to start with kids' books this summer, as their plot is easier to understand and they use simpler vocabulary.

I am happy to have total and complete access to English reading material when I get back, but I'm proud of my ability to persevere.